Jesus Loves You, But I'm His Favorite

There is a t-shirt design that reads Jesus Loves You, But I’m His Favorite. I know this because I own one and wear it from time to time. I have yet to wear it without receiving a comment from someone I don’t know. Sadly, most of the comments have been voiced from the “who do you think you are” side of the aisle. Apparently many Christians don’t believe that I am Jesus’ favorite human. My response is always the same: “Hey, what can I say, the truth often hurts.” The conversation normally ends at that point, but the irony persists. I’m not vain and I’m not a theological nutcase. I know that Jesus loves everyone equally (let’s all sing along now, red and yellow, black and white…) but I am also convinced that Jesus loves each of us in a way that is so personal, so intimate, so individualistic, that it’s possible for each of us to feel we are His favorite and all be correct.

I wear the t-shirt mainly to elicit conversation with seekers, the almost-interested and assorted other levels of non-faith persons. I prefer to talk about matters of faith with people who haven’t yet found their place or their purpose in life. If I get to choose between an encounter with a born-again, Bible-believing, “washed in the blood” Christian and a “lost” person, give me the not-yet-found guy every time. I like to exist in a “no church words” environment and many Christians cannot resist using a minimum of three in every sentence. Sharing one’s faith is not about talking about religion or using church words, it’s about telling your unique story. If a t-shirt like mine throws you into a tizzy, you aren’t likely to tell a compelling story about personal faith. If my t-shirt leads someone to ask, “Dude, are you really his favorite,” a door opens to a conversation about God’s love. People need to know that God loves them and has a purpose for their life; they do not need to be told about a list of rules that must be followed. Grace isn’t about rules…it’s about freedom and peace. That would make for a great t-shirt design!

MM